In short, we’ll take things one step at a time.

The boy leaned quietly against the wall at the stairwell corner, listening to the footsteps coming from the rooftop. Several boys with hostile expressions descended the stairs, their faces full of discontent.

Following behind them was Hoshino Morino, along with another slender boy who had exchanged glances with Tsukimi Jinguuji on the rooftop.

The boy remained hidden behind Hoshino Morino, looking clean and unscathed. It seemed Morino had arrived in time. To be rescued by such a beautiful girl in a moment of crisis—he would surely regard her as a lifelong savior, willingly obeying even the command to kiss her shoes.

Well... it has nothing to do with me anyway.

Tsukimi Jinguuji thought so, applauding her silently in his heart, his face expressionless.

At this moment, Hoshino Morino wore an uncharacteristically stern expression, her anger almost palpable. The boys had lost their previous arrogance, scattering in silence under Morino’s deadly glare.

She truly lives up to her reputation as the student council president.

But honestly, how long am I supposed to stand here?

As this thought crossed his mind, Tsukimi Jinguuji checked his watch; lunch break was nearly over. He prepared to head downstairs.

“Jinguuji,” came a voice.

He turned to look at her.

The girl before him had shed her anger, her expression gentle beyond words, a stark contrast to the severe president from moments before.

Tsukimi Jinguuji knew well—Morino was not easily angered, always radiating kindness and warmth, occasionally playful. These facets defined her as an individual.

But girls of her type, once angered or saddened, once consumed by negative emotions, were often difficult to calm.

Looking at Morino’s smiling face now, the boy’s mind overlapped it with her desperate, tear-stained visage from before.

Why, at that time, had he hurt her so recklessly? Why couldn’t he have offered her just a little more love, tried to understand what she meant when she said “I like you the most”?

He had never considered such things back then.

He only felt himself to be the filthiest person in the world, forced by the system to wear a smile, forced to kiss women he never loved.

Drowning in black mud, unable even to cry for help—how could he possibly love anyone from his heart?

“Thank you, Jinguuji, for not recklessly trying to solve things alone, but instead coming to find me.”

“Of course. Expecting me to stand up for others is absurd. Have you ever seen a scoundrel with a sense of justice?”

He forced a frivolous smile, but Morino did not return it.

“From the first time we met, you’ve always belittled yourself, Jinguuji...”

“……”

“Perhaps you think you’ve done nothing of importance. Even so, I must thank you.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Tsukimi Jinguuji instinctively looked away, unable to meet her dazzlingly pure gaze.

He felt himself like a pill bug in the cracks beneath the blazing sun, utterly mismatched with anything that shines.

He said nothing, silently turning to descend the stairs.

…

…

By afternoon, rumors spread that Tsukimi Jinguuji of Class 2-A had boldly gone to the third-year classroom to invite the student council president. It left him speechless for quite some time.

Besides that, there were talks of how they had been seen together after school at the old school building yesterday, or how this morning they had walked to school laughing together, and so on.

The stories sounded so dramatic—almost as if someone would add, “I was there, I was the tile beneath their feet.”

Did these people ever study at school?

But they sure were energetic about spreading gossip.

On reflection, though, it seemed the rumors were true.

How had he suddenly become entangled with his amnesiac ex-girlfriend?

Tsukimi Jinguuji was startled—this couldn’t go on.

After school, he swiftly grabbed his already-packed bag and, for the first time ever, was the first to leave the classroom.

As he opened the back door, the student council president stood there, her sky-blue hair cascading down, waving cheerfully at him.

“Ah! So eager to see me?”

Jinguuji glanced into the classroom; it was obvious he was once again the center of attention in Class 2-A.

He shut the door with a bang, dragging the beautiful president toward the shadows at the stairwell corner.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come looking for me after school?” he grumbled.

“……”

“Well? Say something.”

“…Hand.”

“What?”

Morino pointed to his left hand. Jinguuji looked down and realized he was tightly holding her right hand—so soft, it was hard to let go.

“Oh… sorry.”

He released her hand, and Morino, trying to act composed, hid it behind her back.

“Is this how you take advantage of girls without leaving a trace?”

“You caught me. I couldn’t help myself.”

Seeing him put on that “I’m frivolous” act again, Morino refused to engage, reverting to her usual tone.

“I didn’t actually enter your classroom. You opened the door; I just happened to be in the corridor outside the first-year room.”

Jinguuji sighed, “Playing such cheap word games—isn’t that beneath the dignity of the student council president?”

He knew perfectly well—as long as he remained a student at Sakura High, Morino was the highest authority apart from the teachers. There was no way around her; confrontation was futile.

“Jinguuji, you seem to have forgotten something important,” Morino said, waggling her finger with a smug air.

He watched her in silence, curious what nonsense she’d come up with.

“Before being the student council president, I’m a high school girl. Don’t take every word a girl says so seriously.

“Tell me, have you ever actually dated a girl? Not knowing even such simple things.”

Jinguuji was momentarily at a loss for words.

Who was it that once said life could never bloom gloriously from lies?

Heine would weep.

“President Morino, honestly, I’d love to share wonderful school days with you, but I have work today. I really must go. See you next week.”

“I said this morning, Jinguuji, you’re really bad at lying.”

“Don’t tell me you can spot lies too—that’s plagiarism.”

Morino shot him a glare, stepping forward with legs sheathed in black stockings, heading toward the old school building without looking back.

“Follow me.”

“…All right.”